Old Boy (Oldeuboi)
Posted by Darren on June 4th, 2009 Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Today’s review is Oldboy (Oldeuboi)
, a Korean film by director Chan-wook Park
. It has been over a month since I’ve seen this movie. I intended to skip the review and have honestly tried to put it out of my mind, but it keeps flashing back at the oddest times: getting out of the shower, walking down the stairs to my car, or approaching the steps to work.
This is certainly not a movie for the faint of heart. The plot and themes are disturbing and emotionally upsetting to say the least. My friend and I watched this movie together and found ourselves on an emotional roller coaster which left us yelling “My god, why would they do something like that?” as often as it left us saying “That was an amazing scene.” There were many times I felt so disgusted I almost turned the movie off, but somehow couldn’t rip my eyes away from the screen. I’m not sure whether to classify it as a cinema masterpiece or something akin to a solar eclipse that will leave permanent scars on my retinas.
It is a testament to the quality that we made it through the whole movie. Not many films dare delve into the human psyche with such force and determination. Park is a Hitchcock fan, and if you look at the film from the perspective of a character psychoanalyzation then perhaps it is not quite as disturbing. Or maybe it’s almost more disturbing when you look at it that way.
In the end, I find it difficult to say much about this film, as if saying too much would give away what truly makes it a unique experience. I will say you should not watch this unless you usually seek out strange and disturbing films, and I’m not talking about slasher flick disturbing; I’m talking about walking-in-on-a-family-member-having-sex kind of disturbing. At least in this case it’s only a movie, so that makes it OK.
Doesn’t it?
The gore in this film is beautifully filmed and there are a ton of really breathtaking visuals as well.
Did you find that it was a more distressing film once you knew the plot behind the revenge?
Because the violence in this film is disturbing, I still can’t decide what I find more distressing. The joy I felt for him getting some revenge, or the horror I felt as he has his world further destroyed.
Once things do get going and plot point after plot point is revealed as to why he has been kept and that he might have been safer inside rather than outside no matter the glee in the violent rampage he has perpetrated begins to wane.
Do you think the movie lingers as long as it does because it is so easy to associate with the loneliness or the need for revenge or just the performances or the beauty of the horror presented?
Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve actually seen this. I’ll try to articulate a halfway decent reply.
I think the movie could have easily fallen into the category of “just another Korean horror flick” if not for the ability to associate with the main character. Plans of revenge are things which seem to produce feelings which border on madness, even when such plans are only idle thoughts. Seeing the revenge play out in this film and the ultimate despair brought on by it, is something I think most people can easily associate with. It demonstrates why revenge can be such a perilous course of action; likely the feeling is mutual.
Thanks for commenting. I like your site. You’re doing a far better job of reducing your Netflix queue than I am.
I think what I loved best about this movie is there was no way to know what was going to happen at the end. I see so many movies that the experience of not knowing was just so novel as to be almost earth shattering.
Thanks for stopping by my site. The watching of the movies is easy, it is the writing about them that is killing me! I look forward to more of your reviews.